, 1887-08-18
PINE WOODS OF GEORGIA.
Old Habits of Southern Hospitality-The
Small Economics of Poverty.

Old Habits of Southern Hospitality-The
Small Economics of Poverty.
In an hour they were in the pine woods.
At long intervals there were openings in
which was a wide, low, many galleried
house, with its appendage of dilRpidated
negro quarters and neglected farm lands
"a gray, hoary wreck OF prosperous days.
The snow, which still lay in drifts in the
woods, had melted here from the saffron
stubble fields. Tho houses usually ap-
peared to be over full; all of the windows
shone redly in the closing dusk; the
rooms were alive with children, with gay
young people; matrons with delicate,
tastidious faces bent over their work;
portly, handsomely dressed men loitered
in the galleries or rode down the long
venues.
"You would find the old habits of hos
pitality kept up in these houses" said
Lola. Family connections are large in
the south. A Georgian of the higher
class has cousins all through the Caro-
hnas and the gulf states, just as the Vir-
giniHns and Kentuckians are really all Of
one blood. From five to ten guests may
drop in unlimited for any meal or come to
stay n week. They are always SURE of q
welcome. The old class of southerners
would rather give up their chance of
heaven than the pleasure of keeping open
nav ~ liz AAA@AAAAF NA ShA AAs
Mr.. Ely's face flushed. at is q grs-
cious, beautiful custom!' he exclaimed.
I'VE lost much that was wn IN keeping
with the old feudal systems.'
Yes" said Miss Pogue dryly; 81 have
known a dinner prepared in our house for
four persons, INT before it was served
twenty guests arrived unexpectedly. So
it goes on all the year round"
THAT is delightful" hesitated Mrs.
Ely. at takes one quite back to patri-
archal life. But it would not suit north
ern hOusekeepers nor northern cooks and
chambernaids."
at does not suit here" said Lola,
promptly. "Our mothers were used to it
when they had plenty Of money and of
servants. But now hat we have not
enough of either, the custom keeps many
a family poor, and makes life n treadmill
for most women. The generation L belong
to, Mrs. Ely she said, after n pause, her
thin, decisive features heating, 'have
learned to practice small economies in
poverty, and they are forced to see that
there is a great leakage in their incomes
through these old customs which seem to
you so beautiful and grand. Yet" she
added, with sudden pride, 81 doubt if
the southerner will ever give up that
CUSTOM
Mrs. Ely, talking matters over that
night as usual, declared that "the Geor-
gian girl talked and thought precisely
like a New Englauder. And, us far as 1
can see, she is not an uncommon type now
in this new south. ! have met women,
since We came here, capable, shrewd and
alive with energy. They manage planta-
tons and shops; they raise stock, hold of
fees, publish newspapers. Indeed, while
northern women have been clamoring for
their rights, southern women have found
their way into more careers than they.
They keep up with all the questions of the
day. Miss Lola actually gave me some
new hints on drainage. l suppose we
Americans have but n blood, after all,
and u hard struggle with poverty will pro
duce the same woman in Georgia as in
Connecticut ."-Rebecca Harding Davis in
Ilarper's Magazine.